DISRUPTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS: Despite the proliferation of edtech apps for every device, it seems students—especially low-income students—perform better on standardized tests with limited access to technology in the classroom. According to a study from the London School of Economics, students attending schools with cell phone bans had a 2% higher rate of passing their GCSE exams—so the no-phone rule helped them as much as an extra hour of instruction every week. According to the study, which compiled exam results from 130,000 students at 91 schools since 2001, the positive impact of the ban was twice as effective for students who had previously scored in the bottom 60% or were eligible for free or reduced lunch, suggested that “restricting mobile phone use can be a low-cost policy to reduce educational inequalities.” More from The Guardian.
